Five horses have won the Sprinters' Cup twice. There are three dual winners of the Stayers' Cup. So far, we have not had a horse to bag the Super Mile Cup twice. That could change this year if form holds good. If it does, Serjeant At Arms (Ikhtyar - Rahy's Serenade) should win his second Super Mile Cup. Historically, the race has favoured the Classic generation with the four year-olds winning 20 of the 34 renewals. On the other hand, it has been the least punter friendly of Gr.1s at the Invitation Cup week-end with only a dozen public fancies obliging.

Sunday, 3 February 2019 was a rather disastrous day for the betting fraternity at Mahalakshmi. Three iconic horses -- Serjeant At Arms, Desert God and Sir Cecil -- started as very warm favourites in their respective races and all three of them bit the dust. Serjeant At Arms (Ikhtyar - Rahy's Serenade) had carved out his exalted status with 12 wins from 14 starts. He was beaten, narrowly, only in the Mysore Derby, Gr.1 and the Kingfisher Ultra Indian Derby, Gr.1. After the Indian Derby, the connections took a bold decision to revert him to shorter distances at which he seemed invincible. So he skipped the Invitation Cup at Bangalore and ran in the Super Mile which he won cosily by five and a half lengths. Four more wins -- two at a mile and two at 1400 m. -- followed during the Bangalore Summer Season. The combined winning margin of those four wins was nearly ten lengths and he was always giving weight to the second placed horse. Clearly, he had no opposition around a mile in India and so off he went to U.S.A.

Trainer Graham Motion had The Serjeant in his stables at Maryland. Motion, of course, is the trainer of Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom and has over 2000 wins to his credit. The Serjeant, though, did not add to his trainer's tally. In his four starts at Tampa, Keeneland, Monmouth Park and Delaware Park, he placed second once -- his first start -- and fourth once. It was then decided to bring him back and he arrived in India in September 2018. He was due to run early in January but was withdrawn on the morning of New Year's Cup, Gr.3 as he was found lame on his left hind leg. When he ran in the Rusi Patel Trophy, Gr.3 at Mumbai, it was his first run after a gap of nearly six months; he was giving weight all round and he was ridden for the first time by Akshay Kumar.  He was beaten by a length and half by New England and was a long neck shy of catching Costa Brava with Cambridge fourth. That run should have brought him on and as he will be competing at level weights with New England and Cambridge, he has a gilt-edged chance.

Cambridge (Burden of Proof - Chimerique) started his career in the colours of United Racing and Bloodstock Breeders. Ltd. He was acquired by Blazing Saddles (PF) around the 2018 Derby time and he did splendidly for his new owners, winning six consecutive races at Mumbai, Pune and Calcutta, all around a mile. Taken to Chennai  in mid-January this year, he finished off-the-frame for the first time in his career. Then came his  fourth in the Rusi Patel Trophy, Gr.3 indicating that he had perhaps gone off the boil. He has a had month's break and if sufficiently refreshed should run his customary good race.

If a well-bred horse starts his career with three straight wins and then earns only four brackets in 20 starts over the next three years, it could be said that he hasn't realised his potential. That statement would be only partially true of Whomakestherules  (Multidimensional - Pricewise). His four wins, all at Calcutta, comprise of Calcutta Monsoon Derby, Gr.2, Calcutta 2000 Guineas, Gr.2, this very race and the Indian Champion Cup, Gr.1 (beating Kangra). He met with a very serious setback after winning the Calcutta 2000 Guineas and his trainer Malesh Narredu has done remarkably well to get him back to Gr.1 winning form. In his early days, he enjoyed going to the front and making his running. In his last two Gr.1 wins, he has been held up and brought with a late run. Of late, he has been a bit inconsistent but on his day he can mix it up with the best in the business.

The three representatives of the Classic crop are all by Excellent Art -- Corfe Castle (ex Miss Danehill), Isn't She Lovely (ex In The Spotlight) and Rikki Tikki Tavi (ex Stravella). Corfe Castle has already been discussed in the Sprinters' Cup  preview. The full-brother to the more celebrated Ruffina scores over his sister in that unlike her, he has a win over a mile. He also has two defeats over that distance, notably in the Indian Navy Rolling Challenge Trophy against older horses.  Besides, how his race the previous day affects him is another matter.

The first foal of the all-conquering In The Spotlight and by a stallion having a purple year, much more would have been expected of Isn't she Lovely than what she has so far delivered. A victory in the K.R.O.A. Mysore 1000 Guineas, Gr.3 was followed by an eye-catching win in the Hampi Cup early in the Bangalore winter season and she headed for the Spartan Poker Indian 1000 Guineas, Gr.1 at Mumbai. She started as the favourite but never looked like winning the race and eventually just missed the board. Back in Bangalore, she ran a much better race when second to The Invader in the Catalyst Properties Bangalore Derby, Gr.1. It was rumoured after her Mumbai race that she preferred a bit of 'give' in the ground and that the hard Mahalakshmi track did not suit her.  If that is true, how she reacts to the Malakpet surface  -- hardly a plush carpet at this time of the year -- remains to be seen as she drops back to a mile. Something is not quite falling into place but her potential is unquestionable. Six fillies have won this race previously.

Rikki Tikki Tavi scored on his debut last February but does not have a win in his six starts since then. He has, though, three good placed efforts -- third behind Sir Cecil and Star Superior in the Bangalore Colts' Championship Stakes, Gr.1, third to Corfe Castle and Indian Pharaoh in the Golconda 2000 Guineas, Gr.2 and again third to Indian Pharaoh and Bradfield College in the Golconda Derby, Gr.1. He, too, is switching back to a mile and has been ridden by six different jockeys in seven starts. The drop in the trip is more in keeping with his pedigree. 

In keeping with this year's trend, the average field rating of the Super Mile (101.7) is below par for the last ten years (107.3). There is one other glaring fact that needs to be mentioned. Barring the filly Adjudicate in the Invitation Cup, there are no runners from Calcutta on view over the two days. Is this just a coincidence ?

PAST THE POST

Though no horse has won the Super Mile twice, two horses -- Bergamo (1985) and Strengthtostrength (2002) -- have bagged the Sprinters' Cup-Super Mile double. Two Gr.1 victories in two days is a feat worthy of much commendation.

Bergamo (b 1979 Common Land - Harrier) was bred at the Usha Stud and picked by trainer R.R. Byramji for his patrons the Khataus. In the all red colours of the Khataus, Bergamo won 11 races from 15 starts including the A.C. Ardeshir Gold Cup, Maharaja Sir Harisinghji Gold Cup, Maharaja Jiwajirao Scindia Gold Cup, Maharaja's Cup and Nizam's Gold Cup. He was also a close second to Klairon Gold when that horse won his second Sprinters' Cup, Gr.1 and the only time he finished off-the-frame was in Columbia's Invitation Cup.

As a five year-old, Bergamo had probably reached his peak and the Khataus sold him to the Brars of Dashmesh Stud. Little did they know that the best was yet to come. The Brars gave Bergamo and a few other horses to trainer Dallas Todywalla. Todywalla had served his apprenticeship with Byramji and then put in a stint as an independent trainer at Delhi to earn his stripes. Bergamo travelled by float to Chennai from Bangalore and then by a horse-box to Calcutta. He was a bit underdone for the Calcutta Gold Cup over a mile early in December but romped home easily by almost six lengths under Hormuz Antia. Shinde rode him in the Hongkong Bank Cup, a Class 1 sprint handicap, and once again he won effortlessly. The dress rehearsals for the Invitation Cup week-end had gone off splendidly. On Saturday of the Invitation Cup week-end, Antia had the mount on Bergamo. He raced neck-and-neck with Sui-Generis (Shroff) till the bend and then simply left them all standing as he won by a street in record time. The next day Shroff won the Invitation Cup on Revelation and in the very next race rode Bergamo in the Super Mile. Mindful of his exertions the previous day, Shroff rode him in check and yet lowered the track record. Bergamo was unbeaten in his four starts at Calcutta that year and the undoubted star who launched Dallas Todywalla's career. It has to be said, though, that Todywalla also trained Romantic Eve for the Brars to win the Calcutta 1000 Guineas and Calcutta Oaks.

Bergamo was retired as a stallion to the Dhunjibhoy Stud at Pune,  a new venture of present R.W.I.T.C., Ltd. Chairman's uncle .Bergamo covered a few mares in 1986 and fewer still in 1987 because he died midway through the breeding season. He had only eight named foals, all them raced and five were winners. The Dhunjibhoy Stud closed down shortly afterwards, the land was acquired by developers and a posh housing complex came up. Dallas Todywalla owns an apartment in one of buildings standing on the grounds where Bergamo passed his last days.